June 23, 2012 - Oakland, CA - The prog world is buzzing with excitement about the forthcoming Blu-ray release by miRthkon; Oakland, CA based amplified chamber ensemble masquerading as a rock band. This illusion is well maintained by the fact that from time to time they do indeed rock. Maintaining a passionate aesthetic stance that they are (quite happily) 'beneath everything', their music - whether evoking the direct or indirect influence of progressive rock, contemporary classical abstraction, avant-garde jazz, catchy hook-laden pop, or thrash metal - is held to a simple but firm standard: Does it sound good? miRthkon's forthcoming live Blu-ray titled (Format) is a testament to the group's innovative approach to live performance and music in general.

"The Blu-ray was somewhat of an accident," explains band leader and guitarist Wally Scharold. "It was not planned. We had incorporated live and pre-recorded video projection in our shows since mid- 2008 . These were originally introduced as short interludes between songs to keep the audience engaged during long song breaks due to required technical changes to perform the next song. By the time we played CalProg in October 2010 , our multimedia approach was at its most ambitious, including nearly 30 of these videos. It was very well rehearsed and we performed it beautifully, all captured in a free 32 -track recording, provided by the festival. I had filmed our set from a single angle in the hall's light booth for archival purposes, which was hardly enough to justify a legit concert film. But after reaching out to the fans, we managed to track down a couple more angles - one very close to the stage - and suddenly we had the raw footage to cut together something. However, the lack of any real planning (and professional videographers) made for less than ideal footage, so we had to get really creative with the editing when we just didn't have the shot we wanted. One and half years later, it's finally done. "Unlike a standard concert film, (Format) integrates interviews, surrealistic documentary footage, and an underlying plot pointing to a vast conspiracy!